Living My Dream: An Artistic Approach to Marketing.

Forwarded Source: Jenne Glover From the Heart Art Gallery

Dr. Synthia SAINT JAMES – Artistic Marketer

When I spoke to Dr. Synthia SAINT JAMES to schedule a time for our interview, I immediately knew why she is so successful; her positive winning spirit is refreshing. Born in 1949 in Los Angeles, California, SAINT JAMES is an internationally celebrated self-taught visual artist, author, keynote speaker, licensor, and architectural designer. She credits the creator and her ancestry (African American, Native American, Haitian, and German Jew) for her artistic gifts.

Her signature style is distinct, characterized by people dressed in brilliant gemstones of color, their geometric-like bodies are poised, looking upward and onward, they are celebrating life.

She is featured in many periodicals, as well as, Africana Women: Her Story Through Time, a book written by Dr. Cynthia Jacobs Carter. She’s in the cast of M. K. Asante’s latest documentary The Black Candle, which screened globally; and she appears in Breast Cancer Examined: An African American Perspective, which aired on the TV One Network.

SAINT JAMES is now booking her 2012 speaking engagements, workshops, artist-in-residencies, and exhibitions. To book her, call 323-993-5722 or email tobooksynthia@synthiasaintjames.com. See more of Saint James work at and click here to purchase an autographed copy of Living My Dream: An Artistic Approach to Marketing.

Aruba Fantasy Acrylic on Canvas 22”x28”

SAINT JAMES has exhibited on Tom Joyner’s Fantastic Voyage Cruise to connect with representatives of historically black colleges and universities. On the 2009 cruise, she met Dr. Dianne Boardley Suber, president of Saint Augustine College in Raleigh, North Carolina.

SAINT JAMES was invited to speak at Saint Augustine College and she visited in September of the same year. Her visit included working with art students and attending a luncheon held in her honor. During the Q&A, she was asked what she wanted her legacy to be. SAINT JAMES expressed the desire to set up a foundation at a college to award scholarships to young women interested in pursuing a visual arts career. Dr. Suber offered Saint Augustine College and SAINT JAMES accepted.

The Synthia SAINT JAMES Fine Arts Institution was soon established, and several exhibitions have been held to raise money for the foundation. The first scholarships will be awarded to students for the 2012 fall semester. On May 8, 2010, SAINT JAMES was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters from Saint Augustine College and in September 2010 she did her first week as Artist-in-Residence.

SAINT JAMES is inspired by the life and all it encompasses, it may be something she’s seen in a book, a play, movie, song, or someplace she’s been. Every morning at dawn, she takes a walk at the beach to say her prayers and affirmations. This clears her head and gets her focused on what she wants to accomplish this day. She takes care of herself physically, spiritually, and mentally. She eats right, takes vitamins, and works until she tires.

"She advises artists to be prepared to spend their lives building relationships, researching, and actively pursuing their art careers. She cautions not to worry about art representatives and galleries, and instead listen to your inner voice and be your own self."

Over the years, SAINT JAMES has received many awards including the distinguished Trumpet Award in 2010, which acknowledges the accomplishments of Black Americans who have significantly contributed to enhancing the quality of life for all, and she is the first painter to be recognized. The same year, she was inducted into the National Organization of Women Business Owners – Los Angeles, Hall of Fame. She’s also the recipient of the 2008 Woman of the Year Award for the 26th Senate District; and has received the Parent’s Choice Silver Honor, a Coretta Scott King Award, and an Oppenheim Gold Award for her books.

Sisters of Providence Acrylic on Canvas 36″x48″

Recently, ten limited edition remarques of her painting “Sisters of Providence,” were unveiled and auctioned at the Providence Health & Services Excellence Awards Dinner in Seattle, Washington. The auctioned raised $126,000 which was matched by a corporation bringing the total to $252,000. Proceeds went to the Sisters of Providence Mission in Chile.

Totem Acrylic on Canvas 48” x 13” - Mural will be fabricated in tile 30’ x 8 ½’

ArtHop Venues Fresno \California

The Fresno Arts Council's ArtHop is an arts and culture-focused event fueled by the passion and growing interest in the arts in Fresno.

ArtHop occurs every 1st and 3rd Thursday of each month. It’s one of the most active and successful programs organized by the Fresno Arts Council. Art lovers and enthusiasts from all walks of life flock downtown Fresno and the Tower District on the first Thursday of each month, and the rest of ArtHop venues in the Fresno metro areas on third Thursdays, to meet and greet with the artists and enjoy the reception and music. Museums, studios, galleries, and other venues open their exhibitions to the public at 5:00 p.m. and run the free event until 8:00 p.m.

This is the database listing of this year's participating ArtHop venues. We list all participants here, but it does not mean they are doing an event for a particular ArtHop month. All ArtHop events are posted on the FresnoArts.net events calendar, so use that as a resource in planning for ArtHop.

Downtown Fresno

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1. ACEL Fresno Charter High School Student Venue

2. African American Historical and Cultural Museum

February 4th, Celebrate African American History Month Exhibition at the Museum

3. All Things Fresno

4. Alliance of California Artists (ACA) Window Gallery

5. Anvil Gallery

6. Art By Hand, Central California

7. Arte Americas, La Casa De La Cultura

8. Bill Bruce Studio and Gallery

9. Blue Sky Wellness Center

10. Broadway Studios Mimi Mott-Smith #18

11. Chris Sorensen Studio

12. Fig Tree Gallery

13. Frank Arnold Art I Studio 8

14. Fresno Brewing Company

15. Fresno City Hall

16. Full Circle Brewing Co.

17. Gorgon Isle Gallery

18. K-Jewel Art Gallery

19. Kliszewski Glass

20. Las Palmas Check Cashing

21. Mullins Studio

22. Robert Ogata Studio

23. Studio 712

24. Studio Itz

Tower District

1. Art Space Gallery, Fresno City College

2. Big Brothers, Big Sisters of Central California

3. California Arts Academy - Severance

4. Clay Mix Gallery/Studio

5. Fulton's Folly Antique Collective

6. Studio 74

7. The Brass Unicorn

8. The Brick Wall @ JA Photography

Metropolitan and Outlying Areas

1. Armenian Museum Exhibition Hall

2. Boling Fine Arts Gallery

3. Fashion Design Incubator

4. Gallery II - Pat Hunter Studio

5. Glass Crackers Mosaic

6. Margaret Hudson's Earth Arts Studio & Gallery

Jenne Glover From the Heart Art Gallery Editor's Perspective: One Planet, One Human Race

This post was forwarded to the Phantom by Eileen Miller, sharing the word from Last Detail 2012:

 Editor's Perspective: One Planet, One Human Race

Voicing Art

Jenne Glover From the Heart Art Gallery

"Increasing awareness, appreciation, and knowledge of the visual arts---people, processes, culture "

Editor's Perspective: One Planet, One Human Race

 For nearly twenty years, workplaces across our Nation have been educating leaders, managers, and employees on the importance of diversity as an organizational resource.

Yet, Congress is willing to throw the baby out with the bathwater and stall our political system rather than work with an African American president.

 It’s a sad commentary on our leadership, or lack thereof, since we are a diverse nation operating within a global economy that's in crisis. I know there are people who long for the “good old days and how it used to be," but I'm sure that instead of lamenting the past, African Americans, Asians, Hispanics, women, gays and lesbians, transgendered individuals, people with disabilities, and many others are grateful for the progress.

Dr. King's “I Have a Dream" speech speaks of the future so eloquently: “We cannot walk alone. And as we walk, we must make the pledge that we shall always march ahead. We cannot turn back.”

Instead of political stalemates and self-centered pledges driving the agenda, we need holistic leadership to pull together in the spirit of cooperation and compromise for the good of the country. It can be done in much the same way that divorced parents put aside their differences to raise healthy, happy children.

It is my hope that our society will embrace the 21st century with a passion for balancing the economy, sharing the wealth, and preserving the planet.

Have a Blessed New Year!!!

Popular mural wiped out in Fresno's Tower District

"Art is Business" Mural District Guidelines (Copyright ©2012 KFSN-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved)

Carlos Saucedo, Fresno, Calif. (KFSN) -- A popular mural painted on the wall of a Tower District business has been wiped out by the property owner because of a misunderstanding.

The Tower District is known for its colorful and vibrant murals along the walls of businesses, but one art piece that became a cultural icon along the side of the Tower Theatre is now a blank canvas." But for a white wall, to trade a mural for a white wall, that's a loss," said Josh Wigger. Wigger is the artist whose mural was painted over. Five years ago, the city and owner of Palomino's restaurant paid Wigger $700 to create the work of art as part of a beautification project.

"I don't think that anybody really understands exactly what the ramifications were. It was a very innocent mistake," said Bill Kuebler, the director of Tower District's Marketing Committee. He said the property owner of the Theatre - who did not want to go on camera - did not realize the mural's significance when he decided to remove it."They quite innocently, frankly, just decided to paint over the wall because the building needs a new paint job and I think that the idea was that we were going to put a new mural up," said Kuebler.

"I think they should have researched it or actually found out who had done it. I mean, it's kind of ignorant on their parts to not do that," said Wigger. The decision came when Palomino's restaurant closed, and the theatre was making changes for new tenants. But residents in the area aren't thrilled."That's what people come down here for, the authenticity of the history of this neighborhood, and now a little piece of, how should I say, it's not that old history, but something that should have been history has now been erased," said local resident Betsy Dituri.

Despite the misunderstanding, Wigger said he'd be willing to work with the Tower owner to create another mural that embodies the district's cultural richness.